SENIOR SEMINAR

UTS2101 BIOMEDICINE AND SINGAPORE SOCIETY

AY 2015-2016, SEMESTER I

Fellows and Teaching Staff

Mr. Shamraz Anver

Dr. Adam Staley Groves (coordinator)

Dr. Karen Marie McNamara

What This Seminar Is About

Why should we explore the intersection of biomedicine and society? The short answer:
because it invites us to reflect on what it means to live well.
The term biomedicine evokes a highly technical domain of knowledge and techniques,
based on scientific knowledge on how human bodies function and malfunction. Society on
the other hand, is often regarded as the way humans live together (in our case, in presentday Singapore), and the norms, rules and systems developed for doing so. Living well is at
the heart of both and individuals, families, and the larger collective.
Many different answers to the question what it means to live well are possible. A key
analytical skill to develop is the identification of explicit and implicit ways this question is
answered, for example, healthcare policies, health promotion campaigns, care standards and
practices, scientific research foci, patient testimonials, and ethical discussions. The ability to
link stories, practices, and the politico-economical organization of biomedicine in Singapore
to the fundamental question what it means to live well will help you develop a reasoned
perspective on health, care and biomedicine in Singapore.
The primary goal for the student is to develop fundamental themes regarding choices in a
domain of life that affects some of you professionally, and all of us personally. Developing
this ability allows us to consider biomedicine and Singapore society in a new light, and
ultimately leads to new questions, concerns, passions, and possibilities regarding healthcarerelated challenges.

Senior Seminar
UTS2101 Biomedicine and Singapore Society

Learning Objectives
After this module, you will be able to:
1. Analyze how the question what it means to live well is answered or debated,
explicitly or implicitly, in stories, practices and the politico-economical organization of
biomedicine in Singapore
2. Articulate why this matters
3. Formulate views based on, and informed by, the abovementioned analysis

Themes
Throughout the semester, you will be acquainted with key themes and concepts related to
biomedicine and society, which will serve you to analyze case study materials. The following
list provides themes you may encounter (the list is not exhaustive and themes will vary from
section to section):
1.

The science of disease versus the experience of illness

2.

Individual right/freedom in relation to collective responsibility (vaccinations,

epidemics)

3.

Extending individual life versus investing in a healthy/productive workforce

(healthcare policy and its underpinning values)

4.

Personal responsibility and solidarity (obesity, responsibility for health and disease)

5.

The line between the normal and the pathological

6.
7.

What constitutes care? (care and dignity, caring for the other, care and technology)
Predicting and controlling (screening, Big Data)

8.

Disease causation

9.

Biomedicine and its alternatives (TCM etc.)

Module Structure and Overview

The seminar is organized as weekly sessions of three hours. To achieve the learning objectives,
the module is structured in the following way:
Everything we do builds up to the final assignment, which is the writing and delivery of a
seminar-style lesson of ~40 minutes on a topic related to biomedicine and Singapore society.
The lesson should engage learners through a case study on a substantive topic that leads into a
discussion about a fundamental theme. This lesson, developed by groups of three to four
students, should demonstrate the first two learning objectives, while an individual reflexive
paper closely tied to the final assignment should demonstrate the third learning objective.
You will be able to work on the development of your lesson plan and reflexive paper from week
8 onwards. Before then, the module focuses on putting in place the building blocks you need to

Senior Seminar
UTS2101 Biomedicine and Singapore Society

do the final assignment well. This is done by focusing on one or more examples of how
biomedicine functions in Singapore, introducing concepts and distinctions that allow you to
analyze that example. This may take different directions, depending on your section and the
fellow you work with. However, the guiding question is the same for everyone: what does it
mean to live well?
By week 8, you will have suggested ideas for the final project culminating in the formation of
groups of three to four students each group develops one lesson.
From week 8 until week 10, part of each seminar session will allow discussion time to develop
the lesson project. We will also read and discuss additional materials (tailored themes, related
to the projects in your section), and conduct practice sessions (for example, reverse engineer
sample lesson plans, debate a particular issue, or develop writing and presentation). All this
should support you in developing a lesson linking specific biomedicine-related topics to
conceptual themes, and ultimately to the question what it means to live well.
In the final weeks, so 11 until 13, your preparation gives way to practice by teaching the lesson
your group has designed. All groups will teach to another class. Guests may be invited. After
your teaching experience, you will finalize your lesson plan in consultation with your fellow,
and your written research supporting the lesson (which is group graded), and your individual
reflection paper.

Medical Narratives
To get a good sense of biomedicine and Singapore society, it is important to talk with people
other than your colleagues and lecturers. This semester the first week of seminar is cancelled, in
its place you are asked to present in week two a medical narrative. Special instructions will
have already been distributed to the cohort prior to start of the semester.

Assessment and Assignments

This is a graded module that can be converted to Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) if students
wish to do so and have not yet exceeded their S/U option entitlement. The S/U declaration
exercise will be conducted upon the release of examination results and will end by a stipulated
deadline, which will be announced each semester. Students can exercise their S/U option
during this period.

Senior Seminar
UTS2101 Biomedicine and Singapore Society

WEEKS

DESCRIPTION

ASSIGNMENTS
Medical Narrative

1-6
Introducing key themes for the
analysis of biomedicine and Singapore
society

Three response papers in which you analyze the case in

relation to the theme of the week
Due: 48 hours before seminar in weeks 3,4,5

At a Glance

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UTS2101 Biomedicine and Singapore Society

Review of response papers in week 6

7-8

Transition weeks
Debates on week 7 and/or 8
Debates
Building on the analysis undertaken in Fellow has discretion as to activities in this period
weeks 1-6
Introduction of the teaching session
assignment

9-10

Researching and preparing to teach

Group formation on the basis of
project ideas

11-13

Picking a case study

Researching and writing your case study
Developing a lesson plan

Short lessons conducted by student groups, other

students will be the recipients of the lesson and
involved in providing feedback on its strengths and
weaknesses in seminar

Teaching sessions take place

Finalizing your group written lesson plan,

Finalizing your research and individual reflection paper
Lesson plan event for entire cohort

COMPONENT

DESCRIPTION

TIMING/
DEADLINE

Senior Seminar
UTS2101 Biomedicine and Singapore Society

20%

Weeks 113

See attendance policy below. Unaccounted absences will reduce this

component of your grade from A+ to F in three strikes.

10%

Weeks 113

3 x Response
Paper
(individual)

In week 3, 4 and 5, you will write three response papers in which

you analyze your first case in relation to the theme of the week.
Each week you will revise the paper from last week and hand it in
together with your new paper. The minimum length for each
response paper is 500 words.

20%

Weeks 26

Developing
your project

This assignment asks you to link your learning in weeks 1-6 to

potential ideas for the design of a lesson. This is a good starting
point for your final reflection paper and a prerequisite for
proceeding to the next stage.

0%

Week 7-9

Live Teaching
Session
(group)

This is when, together with your colleagues, you deliver your lesson
in the context of your own seminar section. You will receive a
group grade unless circumstances dictate otherwise.

15%

Week 11,
12 or 13

Written CaseStudy and

Lesson Plan
(group)

This is a group assignment about your case study and how you will
deliver the lesson. An example of both will be made available to
you. This is group work that will receive a group grade unless
circumstances dictate otherwise.

20%

End of
Week 13

Individually reflect on the way your teaching project exhibits the

first two learning objectives of the module; and demonstrates the
third learning objective of the module (>1000 words).

15%

End of
Week 13

General Class
Participation
(individual)

This includes active participation in seminar discussions, and active

engagement with the perspectives of others, including your fellow
students, the facilitators, and external guests.
The following components are also taken into account when
determining the class participation grade:

Attendance
(individual)

Final
Reflection
Paper
(individual)

Medical Narrative

Timely handing in, and serious investment of effort into the

first reflection paper

Participation in the live teaching session (see below)

Expectations and Module Policies

Each seminar section will meet once a week, for three hours (in practice, 2 hours and 35
minutes). According to standard NUS policy, each 4 MC module represents 10 hours of work
per week, so this leaves 7 hours of work for preparation and assignments outside of class. While
you may not need to invest that amount of time every week, it is essential that you devote a
substantial amount of time and attention in order to be successful in this module. You are
expected to prepare properly for seminar discussions, to hand in your assignments on time, to
be proactive and constructive in engaging with your groupmates for the teaching project, and to
double-check assignments before handing them in so as to minimize spelling, grammar and
other mistakes.

Attendance
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UTS2101 Biomedicine and Singapore Society

As this is a seminar-style class, regular attendance is expected. Unaccounted absences will be

reflected in your attendance grade: they will reduce it from A+ to F in three strikes (A+, A-, B,
F). Absences will be excused if you have a valid reason, such as illness and some forms of
official university-related business. In both cases, documentation is normally required. Note
that College-related events and mid-term examinations for other modules are not normally
considered a valid reason for missing a seminar. In any given case, unless this is not possible
due to an emergency situation, you should contact your lecturer well in advance to determine
whether or not you can be formally excused.
Arriving to class on time is also important. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, then you
will be considered absent for the day. If you have a regular conflict that prevents you from
coming to class in a timely manner, please schedule a meeting with your lecturer to discuss
how it might be resolved.
Whatever the reason that you missed a seminar, please note that it is your responsibility to find
out what was discussed, and, by doing so, ensure that your ability to participate in subsequent
seminars is not compromised.
Plagiarism
Under no circumstances is it acceptable to pass off another persons work as your own. At NUS
plagiarism is treated as a disciplinary offence that is subject to formal sanction and the creation
of a disciplinary record. Avoiding plagiarism is first and foremost a matter of academic
honesty. In addition, to avoid committing plagiarism unintentionally, you need to develop
appropriate writing and referencing practices. You should always acknowledge all your sources
including Internet sources with proper citations, and ensure that you use quotation marks if
you incorporate literal quotes in your text. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with
the Note on Plagiarism Prevention on the WoodieCentral intranet, and to consult with your
lecturer in case you have further questions

Senior Seminar
UTS2101 Biomedicine and Singapore Society